focus onPersonal Savings

Frequently Asked Questions for Personal Savings accounts

Opening an account

You need to be aged 18 or over and a resident in the United Kingdom to open a savings account with us. You can open a joint account with one other person.

I am not a customer. How do I open an account?

You can open an account by finding the one you are interested in on our website and clicking 'open an account'. This will give you the option to either apply online or to download and print an application form to apply by post. Alternatively, you can call us on 020 7862 6222020 7862 6222 during business hours and ask us to send you an application form in the post.

I am already a customer. How do I open an additional account?

To open an additional account simply call us on 020 7862 6222020 7862 6222 during business hours and we will do this for you over the phone. Alternatively, you can send us a written instruction by downloading and printing an additional account form and sending it to us by post.

Can I open an account as a Power of Attorney or similar third party mandate?

If you apply online we will open your account and provide confirmation as soon as you submit your application. We will also tell you if we need any further information from you.

If you apply by post we will usually open your account within one business day of receiving your application.

Whether you apply by post or online we will write to you confirming your new account details and any further information we require.

What checks do you do before I can open an account?

We are required by law to verify your address and identity and we will try to do this by checking various electronic databases. If we are unable to verify you in this way we may ask you to provide some documents to help us complete our checks. Read what verification documents we may require.

If we ask you to send documents to us we will still open your account and you will be able to pay money into it. However, you will not be able to withdraw money until we receive the documents we require. If you do not send us the documents within 30 days we will close your account and return any money deposited to you.

What is a nominated account?

When you apply we will ask you to give us a nominated account, which must be a current account you hold with a UK bank. If you are applying for a joint account your nominated account can be in both or either of your names.

We will check the nominated account details you give us and occasionally we may need you to provide evidence that you are the account holder, such as a copy of your bank statement showing the account number, sort code and your name.

All payments you make into your savings account must be made from your nominated account. If we receive an electronic payment from a different account we will return it to the paying account. If we receive a cheque from a different account we will return it to you uncashed.

We will make all withdrawals by electronic payment to your nominated account.

How do I pay money into my account?

You can pay money into your account by sending an electronic payment (Faster Payment or CHAPS) to your Hampshire Trust Bank sort code and account number, which we will tell you once we have opened your account. If you open your account online we will provide your sort code and account number at the end of the application. However you apply, we will write to you to confirm your sort code and account number as soon as we have opened your account.

You can also pay money into your account by cheque. You should make the cheque payable to yourself and send it to us at our freepost address: Freepost RTXE-RYYB-AYZY, Hampshire Trust Bank, Savings, PO Box 74003, London EC2P 2QR.

If you are opening a notice account you can send as many payments as often as you like.

If you are opening a bond you should send us a single payment. If you wish to send multiple electronic payments because your bank limits the value of payments you can send then we will wait to we have received all of your payments and then open the bond, provided we receive them within 14 days of account opening. If you intend to do this you should tell us.

Is my money protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?

Most deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Read more information on our FSCS page.

When will I start to earn interest on my money?

If you send us money by cheque you will start to earn interest on the second working day after we receive it.

If I change my mind, can I cancel my account after it has been opened?

Yes, you can cancel any account with us within the first 14 days after the opening date. This is the date on your account opening confirmation letter. You can do this by calling us on 020 7862 6222020 7862 6222 during business hours or writing to us.

If you have already paid money into your account we will return this to you, along with any interest you have earned, when you tell us you would like to cancel it.

Managing your account

How can I operate my account?

If you opened your account online you can operate your account online or by post and telephone. If you opened your account by post you can operate it by post and by telephone.

If you have an online account you will see the balance for each account you hold with us and your total balance when you log in to your account.

If you do not have an online account we can tell you your balance over the phone.

We will send you an annual statement by post on the anniversary of account opening.

How can I find the interest rate on my account?

If you have an online account you will see the interest rate for each account you hold us when you log in to your account.

If you do not have an online account we can tell you your interest rate over the phone.

Your current interest rate, and any changes during the year, will also be shown on your annual statement, which we will send to you by post.

How do I withdraw money from my notice account?

If you have an online account you can give notice to withdraw money by logging in, selecting your notice account by clicking its account number and choosing ‘withdraw funds’.

Alternatively, you can give us an instruction by calling 020 7862 6222020 7862 6222 during business hours and or by sending a withdrawal slip or written request to us by post.

You can make a partial withdrawal or ask us to close your account and return all of your money.

We cannot accept instructions by email.

How do I withdraw money from my bond?

You cannot withdraw money from your bond before the end of the term.

What happens when my bond matures?

We will write to you about a month before your bond matures to ask for your instructions, at which time you can tell us to return your funds to you at maturity, reinvest them in a new bond or a combination of the two. If you do not give us an instruction before your bond matures we will open an easy access account for you and transfer your funds into it.

If you have an online account you can give us your maturity instruction by logging in to your online account. Alternatively, you can give us your instruction by calling 020 7862 6222020 7862 6222 or by sending an instruction form in the post.

How do I add a second account holder?

If you have a sole account and wish to add a second account holder you will need to write to us, giving the full name, address and date of birth of the new account holder. We will need to carry out some checks on the new account holder and may ask them to provide some documentation to verify their identity.

How do I remove an account holder?

If you hold a joint account and you both wish to remove one of you from the account you need to write to us asking us to do this. The letter needs to be signed by both of you.

Online accounts

What should I do to help keep my online accounts safe?

To help to prevent unauthorised access to your online account it is critical that you do not share your password or memorable word with anyone and we advise you not to write it down.

If you know or suspect that someone knows your password and/or memorable word you should tell us immediately and we will suspend your online account to prevent unauthorised access. We may do this without giving you prior notice if we suspect someone knows your password or if we see any unusual activity on your account. If we do suspend your online account we will re-register you to allow you to continue to securely use your account.

I have forgotten my password. What do I do?

If you cannot remember your password you can choose a new one by clicking the ‘Forgotten password’ link on the online log in page. You will need to know your User ID, account number and memorable word.

If this is not successful call 020 7862 6222020 7862 6222 during business hours.

I have a joint account online. Can the second account holder log in to the account?

Yes. To do this the primary account holder will need to log in to the account and select ‘register joint account holder’ from the menu. This will send an email to the second account holder telling them how to register to access the account.